I had to share this precious photo sent to me by a “music mom”. I am sure this little student was overcome with exhaustion after a particularly productive practice session. I wonder if she was dreaming of playing at Carnegie Hall?
A typical Saturday for me, as a child, included a ride with my dad or grandfather (or both) to a local hall with a trailer full of band equipment in tow. My brother and I would help unload the gear and proceed to ask my uncles (and adopted uncle) a bazillion questions. I am quite…
How many songs do you have tucked in your head? From the tapes and CDs (or in my case, 8 tracks and records!) you listened to as a child, to the songs played on the family stereo while your mom or dad worked around the house, to the songs that played on the radio while…
The Music Box is expanding! After 3 plus years of working out of my home I am pleased to say that we are ready for a larger location. Every day for the past three years, as I was teaching, I could see a building sitting across the road. It was rarely used and full of…
I love the following words from Haim Ginott. I first read it when I was an undergrad in university. It was in the “Ask Ada” column of the city paper and I cut it out. I still have that worn piece of newsprint and the passage has been my own personal teaching guideline ever since….
For a musician, nothing is worse than an instrument that is not in tune. Sour notes can be as nauseating as sour milk. Musicians heavily rely on their ear to determine accuracy of notes, intervals, tone, shading, balance and touch. You can imagine how difficult it would be to gauge all of these things if…
A sweet young man entered a music studio one day. He was so excited to start learning with his new teacher. He was a young teen and had an air of business about him as he and the teacher discussed scheduling and past musical experience. “I’m in a band you see and need some help with learning some of…
